The last message of 2010: JOY and PEACE!!! "Dear children! Today, I and my Son desire to give you an abundance of joy and peace so that each of you may be a joyful carrier and witness of peace and joy in the places where you live. Little children, be a blessing and be peace. Thank you for having responded to my call."
This message means a lot to me. On Christmas Eve I was getting a few last minute things shopping in Belfast but realised I needed to get to confessions. I sensed that I had to go to St Paul's on the Falls Road and arrived just in time for 1 o'clock Mass, and then the priest announced that anyone who wanted confessions that it would be made available after Mass. So I got a double blessing - Mass and Confessions! During the Mass I experienced the true spirit of Christmas - the spirit of joy and inner peace, such wonderful graces at Christmas time. How blessed are we that believe!! What Good News we have to share with the world for today is born a saviour and he is Christ the Lord!!
I also had a great Christmas Mass today...I felt joyful. I thought about all the angels there with us today. I cried a little bit, as one little boy who went up to give his children's offering passed by the Nativity, and would not leave it! His big brother kept trying to pull him away, but the little boy was rooted into the floor, it seemed! People started to chuckle and for some reason, I began to happily cry a bit. Then his dad came up and got him, but it was a beautiful moment of innocence...how the little children are drawn to Jesus! I was unsettled by something else though...the church was so empty!!! I was totally shocked! We made sure to get there early (yes, we were "Early Christians" today!) anticipating a large crowd, but the place was empty! Even when Mass started, there were actually FEWER people there than on a normal Sunday! Now they did have an evening Mass on Friday, but they always do and it has never been this empty before. Our new priest decided to cancel the 5:30 pm saturday Mass today. He announced last week that he did not want people going to that Mass to "cover" both Christmas and Sunday in one Mass, which of course is not allowed. So, I was curious, how many poople showed up at 5:30!!! Those who didn't go to Mass last week and assumed the Mass would be held then! I would have liked to park in the lot at 5 and see how many people showed up! I bet Mass tomorrow will be fuller - for those who "missed" Christmas day Mass and thought they could go at 5:30!
The Bishop said our Christmas mass ,Connie and made a funny remark. He said that people attending the Vigil Mass often reminded him of Santa Claus in that they only showed up once a year!! Which I thought was funny. :lol: :lol: Our Church was pretty empty too, which is surprising as most people make an effort at Christmas, if only for the children's sake..to see the crib and hear the carols. I have gotten to know many of the people and especially the children in my street, as they , the mites are always out playing and come over all the time to pet my dog whom they all love. ...and yet the thought occured to me that I had never ever seen either them or their parents in Church, no , not once and yet they ALL Catholic. It is possible, of course they go to a later mass and yet never, ever to have seen them.... sad times.
